When someone calls in sick, is it because of genuine illness, or because he lacks recognition from management? A poor psycho-social working environment, accidents at work, and monotonous or repetitive tasks among other things all lead to sick days. But many are completely avoidable or certainly can be diminished, and it is estimated that significant savings can be made by taking the appropriate action.
A new COWI investigation, done in collaboration with the Danish Ministry of Finance, highlights several important sick leave reduction techniques.
Being aware
Firstly, the individual places of work must be aware of the extent and cause of the sick leave among the employees, as well as the financial consequences for the workplace.
Then management must address these issues through initiatives, such as formulating a sick leave policy and action plan, and through consciously finding ways to generate job satisfaction and wellbeing.
Listening to people